‘All Rise’ star Simone Missick on moving from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the courtroom

(NEW YORK) — Simone Missick, who co-starred in Marvel’s Luke Cage on Netflix for its two-season run, says she was shocked to learn she’d landed a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — because she wasn’t even aware she was auditioning.

“It was something I did not understand the full scope of,” Missick told ABC’s Popcorn with Peter Travers. “When I auditioned, her name was Missy and she was a cop. And that’s all I knew. I didn’t know that it was Misty Knight. I didn’t know she was a superhero. I knew nothing. I did not know that it was a Marvel show. That’s how secretive they were.”

Missick added, “I had no clue who she was, that she was the first black female ever drawn. It felt like it was meant to be. It felt like I was chosen to play this character and bring her to life in a way that had never been done.”

Missick’s portrayal of Knight has kept her very busy since.

“All of these wonderful characters and opportunities come to me and I can’t say no,” Missick told Travers. “I think it’s great to be able to play these strong female leads but that are multi-dimensional and that people can identify with.”

Missick’s now starring as a bounty hunter in Netflix’s Altered Carbon, opposite Anthony Mackie, and as a judge in the CBS courtroom drama All Rise. Missick says the two roles complement each other.

“I’m playing a woman who’s in the dystopian future and then I come back to L.A., and I’m in downtown L.A. playing a judge,” she said.

“[All Rise] is kind of a hybrid,” she continued. “Our cast is certainly a hybrid of multi-talented people. It is an embarrassment of riches.”